Kazahana Koyuki

The Land of Snow's three-man Snow Ninja team had been dealt with!

Masayo had intelligence on Nadare Rōga and the others. He had learned about their abilities and techniques beforehand, which was why he had been able to take down Nadare Rōga without suffering a scratch.

"Now only the daimyo of the Land of Snow remains. I wonder what he'll do once he learns that his three key subordinates have all been taken out."

Masayo felt no concern whatsoever about the changes caused by eliminating the Snow Ninja trio. The so-called memories gave him an advantage, sparing him many detours and granting him many benefits, but that did not mean he was afraid. After all, with him here, this was no longer the Naruto he knew.

"Senior Guy, how are you? Still feeling sick?"

Masayo stood on the sea as though walking on solid ground, rings of ripples spreading beneath his feet.

"I'm fine now. I really have you to thank, Masayo!"

Might Guy's sudden seriousness caught Masayo off guard, though he quickly understood. Might Guy usually gave people the impression of being unreliable, but someone who could become a Jonin could not possibly be careless-minded all the time. Aside from possessing formidable strength, a Jonin needed a certain degree of strategy and leadership. At critical moments, they would even serve as the team's commander. So reaching the strength of a Jonin did not automatically make someone a Jonin.

"Senior Guy's students are all excellent. Whether it's Neji, Rock Lee, or Tenten, they're all outstanding. Ah, Team 3 really is something to envy!"

Masayo's praise made Rock Lee excitedly raise a thumbs-up. Neji Hyuga also revealed a faint smile, while Tenten was on the sailboat some distance away.

Might Guy fell silent for a moment. Masayo's words reminded him of something Kakashi had once mentioned: among the ninja squad that had graduated alongside Masayo, only Masayo had passed the test. Such a situation was probably unprecedented. If Masayo had not performed so exceptionally, he likely would have ended up just like those other two.

On the ship, everyone was still shaken by the waves from earlier. Tenten had just knocked a red bump onto her forehead.

"That was way too much commotion, Senior Masayo!" Tenten covered her head and lightly shook the droplets from her body.

"How is everyone?"

"I'm fine!"

"I'm okay!"

Hearing the responses one after another, Tenten finally let out a sigh of relief. Some of the people around her had suffered minor injuries, but no one was in mortal danger.

Yukie Fujikaze's clothes were already soaked through. They had reached the borders of the Land of Snow, and even out at sea, it was extremely cold.

The group continued toward the Land of Snow. On the ship, Might Guy's youth turned into an acorn once more—he got seasick again. Even after they reached the Land of Snow's harbor, his complexion was still poor. The rest of the film crew began preparing the enclosed snow carriages of the Land of Snow, which were also chakra-powered.

Elsewhere, Might Guy, Masayo, Tenten, Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, Sandaime, Yukie Fujikaze, Director Kitano, and the others gathered in an exhibition hall.

With his arms folded across his chest, Masayo looked at Yukie Fujikaze, who remained silent with her head lowered, her heart filled with conflict. He said, "How much longer are you planning to hide this, Mr. Sandaime? And Your Highness, the princess?"

"Your Highness, the princess? Senior Masayo, you mean...?" Tenten asked in surprise.

Masayo nodded. "Yukie Fujikaze is her stage name. She is actually the heir to this Land of Snow—Princess Kazahana Koyuki."

"What?"

Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, and Tenten were all shocked. Might Guy and Masayo both vaguely knew some of the details.

Sandaime tightly gripped the fabric of his trousers over his knees with both hands and explained, "At that time, I was still serving the previous Lord Kazahana Sōsetsu. The princess was still very young, so it is only natural that she does not remember me!"

Yukie Fujikaze—no, Kazahana Koyuki—raised her head. Seeing Sandaime like this filled her with turmoil. What was she supposed to do? Kazahana Dōtō's terror had left an indelible shadow on her heart. That was the true reason she had always run away and refused to return to the Land of Snow.

"The Land of Snow was a very small yet peaceful country. Lord Sōsetsu dearly loved Princess Koyuki, and every day was peaceful, until that day..."

Sandaime said with deep hatred, "Ten years ago, Lord Sōsetsu's younger brother, Kazahana Dōtō, hired the Snow Ninja to launch a rebellion and seize the Land of Snow. A great fire consumed all of Fūga Castle. I always thought Princess Koyuki had perished as well."

Masayo immediately looked at Kazahana Koyuki and said, "The one who saved Princess Koyuki from the fire that year was Teacher Kakashi!"

Rock Lee and Tenten nodded, understanding the whole story. They had never expected there to be such a history behind it all.

"It would have been better if I had died back then."

Kazahana Koyuki's words drew everyone's eyes toward her.

"My body survived, but my heart died. After that, my tears had already run dry."

Sandaime removed his glasses and wiped away his emotional tears. "Please don't say that, Your Highness. After learning of your whereabouts, I found a way to become Yukie Fujikaze's manager. I did it all while waiting for a chance to bring you back to the Land of Snow."

The screenwriter froze, his eyes widening in shock. "So we were all being used by you."

Sandaime stood, bent at the waist, and said, "I'm sorry for deceiving all of you. I apologize. But everything I did was for the people of the Land of Snow."

Sandaime rushed before Kazahana Koyuki and prostrated himself. "Your Highness, please defeat Dōtō and become the new ruler of the Land of Snow. Only you can lead us all and open the Land of Snow to the world. Even if it costs me my life, I will not hesitate!"

Kazahana Koyuki turned her gaze to Masayo. The scene on the glacier kept lingering in her mind, but no matter how strong Masayo was, he was not her.

"I refuse. It has nothing to do with me. Besides, shouldn't you have given up by now? Are you idiots? Even if we borrow Masayo's strength to reclaim the Land of Snow, without power of our own, it will just be taken from us again, like it is now. Are you all idiots? This Land of Snow will never have spring, and it will never have a future."

Kazahana Koyuki's words left Sandaime speechless. Yes, they had never seen things as clearly as she had.

Director Kitano suddenly spoke. "It is only by refusing to give up that we can see hope, and only by seeing hope that we can welcome the future. Isn't that perfectly in line with the theme of Princess of the Wind and Clouds: Final Chapter?"

"Ah... Director, you're really dedicated. You still want to keep filming?" Tenten remarked sarcastically upon hearing Director Kitano's words.

Director Kitano revealed a faint smile and glanced at Masayo. He still remembered what Masayo had mocked back then. Masayo had completely forgotten it, but he had always remembered.

"Didn't I say so? We're going to give this film a complete overhaul and leave behind a proper ending. Besides, filming with a real princess—isn't that incredibly rare?"

Sure enough, this director knows some of the inside story too. Coming to the Land of Snow was definitely premeditated!

Masayo muttered silently to himself. He simply could not figure out what Director Kitano's true purpose was. If it was only to make a movie, he would not risk his life for it!